You know in your gut that some leather jackets are better than others. Some just look cheap.  Others cost a fortune. But what happens in between? What are the qualities that distinguish bad, better and best?  Maybe it’s time to bone up on Leather Jackets 101 courtesy of Soul Revolver.

OK deal with it. Leather is animal hide – usually cow

A cow is pretty big and so is its hide.  What is called “full grain” leather is considered the highest quality and comes from the uppermost layer of the cow’s back.  Inferior leather is often pieced together with hide from the legs and other parts.  To save money, garment manufacturers may use full grain leather for the main part of the jacket and inferior leather in less noticeable places like inside the collar or around the zipper.  But Soul Revolver believes the devil is in the details and uses only the highest quality, A-1 grade full grain leather throughout every leather jacket.

We learned something from bikers

Biker jackets are usually made from aniline leather. That’s a type of leather in which high quality hides have been dyed with aniline, a transparent chemical that allows the leather to breathe better, making the leather more comfortable in both hot and cold weather.  The aniline leather is pigmented to add consistent color and reduce natural imperfections. The process also helps the leather resist fading and soiling. Even though it doesn’t look as tough as milled leather, which is slightly pebbly or grainy in appearance, aniline is a higher quality and will wear better than milled leather which tends to be stiff and uncomfortable. No surprise that bikers who need freedom of movement as well as protection on the open road, outfit themselves in motorcycle jackets cut from aniline leather.

We made it street

So why not get a biker jacket? True motorcycle jackets are designed to wear while riding but are usually too bulky to wear indoors.  Soul Revolver takes a cue from bikers and starts with durable, breathable aniline leather. Then we make it our own and have the leather skimmed, or thinned down, for street wear.  After years of testing we’ve hit on the perfect thickness to achieve optimal styling, quality and fit.  If you like the look of motorcycle jackets but don’t need the protection, try a motorcycle style jacket. Skimmed aniline leather gives all Soul Revolver leather jackets the durability of biker jackets without the extra heft.

Don’t go too soft

On the other end of the spectrum, some leather, even expensive napa leather, can be too soft and thin for a good leather jacket. Leather that is papery and extra supple lacks durability and easily loses its shape, particularly in the jacket shoulders and arms. Ideally, a leather jacket is well-constructed of high quality, long-lasting leather, not too thick, not too thin, fits well and looks great.

So now you know

Soul Revolver leather jackets are well-designed, sewed to order and personally inspected before delivery to you.  An off- the-rack leather jacket is more likely to fall apart, split, or fade than the high quality leather jacket Soul Revolver makes for you.

A Soul Revolver leather jacket is like a good-looking, long-wearing second skin that provides a layer of warmth outdoors but is comfortable enough to wear indoors.  Zip up your Soul Revolver leather jacket and drive to a pub or a club. Wear it all night. You may forget you have it on. But don’t worry, others will notice.